1. Field
Electronic device connectors and attachments, and the manufacture and connection thereof.
2. Background
Electronic devices having a field or array of contacts are typically connected to other devices having similar contacts such as a printed circuit board (PCB), “board”, or a “motherboard” using molded socket devices, spring clip devices, solder bumps, solder, conductive or nonconductive paste or adhesive, or by other mechanical connector devices or means. One goal of such connector devices or means is generally to provide sufficient physical connection between two devices, such as to resist physical separation of the devices or damage to the devices due to vibration, shock, or thermal factors. Another goal is to cause the fields or arrays of contacts of the devices to individually contact or register with each other, such as to form an electrically conductive connection between the electronics of the devices. In fact, sometimes it is necessary to permanently connect the contacts of a device to another device or board. For example, solder bumps may be used to connect a land grid array (LGA) of a packaging substrate, such as a substrate including a semiconductor active device, processor, or other integrated circuit, to a printed circuit board (PCB), such as a “motherboard” of a computer. The use of solder bump connections typically requires that the packaging substrate and PCB use contacts (or contact pads) having a sufficient surface area, thickness, and spacing therebetween necessary for the solder bumps to form the desired connections between the contacts of the packaging substrate and the contacts of the PBA. Selecting contacts to use may take into consideration the amount of solder and heat necessary to cause the solder bumps to form the desired connections between the contacts of the packaging substrate and the contacts of the PBA. Moreover, selecting contacts to use and wiring or conductive traces to the contacts may take into consideration the amount of solder and heat necessary to cause the solder bumps to form the desired connections between the contacts of the packaging substrate and the contacts of the PBA.